There is little doubt about the timeline of greatness for the New York Islanders franchise.
Bill Torrey steadily built a team that had gained respect throughout the NHL during the middle-to-late 1970s. The presence of Denis Potvin, Bryan Trottier, Mike Bossy and Billy Smith brought the Islanders to a near-championship level by 1979.
When the playoffs commenced that year, many expected the Isles would face the powerful Montreal Canadiens for league superiority since those two teams were clearly the best in the league during the regular season.
But a strange thing happened in the playoffs, as the Islanders were beaten by the New York Rangers in the semifinals in six games, and they had to watch their crosstown rivals engage the Habs in the Stanley Cup Final and lose in five games.
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That defeat spurred the Islanders in 1979-80 and beyond. They would win their first Stanley Cup when Bob Nystrom deflected a deft pass from John Tonelli past Pete Peeters in overtime to beat the Philadelphia Flyers, and they were awarded the Stanley Cup on a Saturday afternoon at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in front of their adoring fans.
They would then go on to beat the Minnesota North Stars, Vancouver Canucks and Edmonton Oilers in consecutive years to give the NHL one of the league's top dynasties. It wouldn't come to an end until the 1984 Stanley Cup Final, when Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier, Paul Coffey and the Oilers summoned every bit of strength and skill to end the Islanders' run in five games.
That's the history lesson. The Islanders have not won a Stanley Cup since then, and they have not been close.
The franchise has largely had a run of mediocrity that has left it as the second or third franchise in the metropolitan area's pecking order, and while that is not likely to change in the foreseeable future, those who do support the Islanders do so with a greater passion than either the fans of the dominant Rangers or the New Jersey Devils.
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Nothing scientific there. Just one man's opinion.
The Islanders now face a crucial moment in their history. If they are going to remain relevant and challenge for the playoffs next year and perhaps a much greater level of success, they must win this offseason.
They are a team that is looking for brilliant leadership from their new general manager, Lou Lamoriello. Lamoriello led the Devils for 28 years, and they became a model franchise in the league before he left to have a short run with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Lamoriello, 75, is not engaging in any honeymoon period with the Islanders. He must come out of the gate firing or the franchise will continue its run toward insignificance.
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He made the first move Thursday by hiring Stanley Cup-winning head coach Barry Trotz. Lamoriello apparently convinced Trotz that the Islanders have a chance to a be a solid playoff team in 2018-19 and in the future.
Bringing in Trotz is a good move. Long before he became the head coach of the Capitals, he did an excellent job as head coach of the Nashville Predators. He helped turn that expansion franchise into a hustling playoff team that never quite had the offense to become more than that.
Trotz is far more credible than his predecessors.
Jack Capuano was a try-hard guy behind the bench and did some good work when the Islanders made the playoffs in 2015 and again the following year, but he was never going to get this team near the top of the league. Doug Weight may turn out to be a decent head coach for somebody else, but he was not able to deliver a team that could win crucial games – or make the playoffs.
Now Lamoriello needs to convince soon-to-be free agent John Tavares to remain with the Islanders.
He has been the standard-bearer and face of the franchise since his rookie season in 2009-10. Tavares scored 37 goals and 84 points this past season, and he has scored 30 or more goals four times in his career. He is a brilliant playmaker and a wonderful citizen.
But he will have the right to sign with another team when the final hours and seconds tick away in the month of June.
The Islanders have a young superstar in Mathew Barzal, who picked up the Calder Trophy on Wednesday night as the NHL's best rookie. He has a brilliant future, but both he and the team need Tavares to return.
Oh, yes, the Isles also need a little something called goaltending. This has become a major area of weakness, and Lamoriello must address this muddled situation. The inconsistent Jaroslav Halak is a free agent, and Thomas Greiss has proved he is not a No. 1 goalie.
There is no time for Lamoriello to congratulate himself for bringing in Trotz.
Now he must bring back the franchise's best asset. Convincing Tavares to put his name on a new contract is beyond crucial.
Lamoriello also has a little matter called the NHL draft Friday and Saturday to restock the team for the upcoming season and future years as well.
The burden is heavy, and Lamoriello has had some early success. Now that must become part of a trend for the team's new boss.
Follow Steve on Twitter at @Profootballboy
